Video: Exploring additional modeling tools

Getting up and running with Revit involves a lot more than modelling. But before we leave the topic of modelling behind, I'd like to look at several other modelling tools and techniques that you might want to be aware of. Now, our goal here isn't to go into great detail on any one of these tools. We've got Revit essential training here at lynda.com to help you along with that. What we're going to do rather is just look at sort of the highlights of some of the other parts and pieces that are/ likely be a part of many of the building models that you're going to work with in really. So, I'm in a file here called Modeling Tools and we're looking at a slightly more refined version of our restaurant building and as you can see it's got some Glazing on the exterior walls here, it's got a roof structure already, so let's take a look at some of these features.

Autodesk Revit is one of the most popular building information modeling (BIM), solutions today. This course covers the differences between the various editions of Revit and shows architects and engineers who are new to the software how to use them. Learn how to choose a template; set up the basic levels, grids, and dimensions; and start adding walls, doors, and windows to your model. Author Paul F. Aubin also shows how to create views and documentation that clearly communicate your plans, import files from other CAD programs, and produce construction documents.

Note: The techniques shown in this course will work with any version of Revit, but due to backwards compatibility issues, the exercise files for this course will only work with Revit 2014. Unfortunately, we cannot downsave the files. Please see a Revit 2013 course for usable files.

Exploring additional modeling tools

Getting up and running with Revit involves a lot more than modelling.But before we leave the topic of modelling behind, I'd like to look at several othermodelling tools and techniques that you might want to be aware of.Now, our goal here isn't to go into great detail on any one of these tools.We've got Revit essential training here at lynda.com to help you along with that.What we're going to do rather is just look at sort of the highlights of some of theother parts and pieces that are/ likely be a part of many of the building models thatyou're going to work with in really. So, I'm in a file here called ModelingTools and we're looking at a slightly more refined version of our restaurant buildingand as you can see it's got some Glazing on the exterior walls here, it's got aroof structure already, so let's take a look at some of these features.

Now most buildings have roofs, so why don't we start there.Okay, there's a roof object right here, and then another one over here.And the most obvious thing about the roof that you can is it's easy to make asloping roof. Now a roof in Revit is what we call asketch-based object. Now if I select the roof, like most thingsRevit, if you select Then they become semi-transparent while they're selected.So we can actually see right through the roof now into the building there.But what the roof selected, if you look over here we get some information forexample, about it's slope. So this roof's slope is currently four andtwelve. So it rises four inches for every twelveinches it runs. Now, I could actually change that righthere and make it steeper, and you'll see that the walls adjust accordingly.

Or I could make it shallower, and the walls continue to adjust accordingly.Of course, right there that's probably a little too shallow.Why don't we go back to 4 and 12. Let me show you really quickly how thatroof was created. Let's say that we wanted to have a littlecanopy over the front door over here. So, to do that, I'm going to go into level1 floor plan. And I'll zoom in on the front door area,and we will build a really simple little roof right there.So I'm going to click on the Roof button. Now, it's roof by footprint that we'reafter, so if you click the drop-down portion, just make sure you're choosingthat roof By footprint. Now that grays out the drawing and puts mein a sketching mode. And if you look over here on the ribbon wehave a variety of tools that we can choose from.

I'm just going to choose this simple rectangle option right there.And I'm going to click and draw a simple rectangle.I use the temporary dimensions as a guide. And, I'm not too concerned with the depthhere 9.6 is fine. But, I want it about 10 feet wide.And, to make it sloped. If I finished right now, I would have aperfectly flat roof. To make it sloped, what you do is youclick your modify tool to cancel out of the command, and then I want to selectboth this line and this line. And make those sloping edges.

Now, the way I'm going to do that, is I'm going to click here, and drag so that ithighlights both of those edges. Okay, so you want to make sure that you'redragging to the left. If you drag to the right, it doesn'thighlight those 2 edges. But, if you drag to the left, it does.I've got those two selected. And what you do is, up here on the Optionsbar, you check this little check box right here, to make those two edges defineslope. Then over here, on the Properties palette,you can see that the slope is about 7 in 12.

So that's awfully steep for this little roof canopy, here, so I'm going to dropthat down to maybe 4 in 12 to match the roof that we have (no period) On the mainbuilding. So, you just type four and press Enter andit will interpret it as four and twelve. The way that you know that these aresloping edges is they have these little triangles on them and when I click finishhere, this big green check box that will complete the roof and if we return to 3Dyou'll see that little roof right there. The only trouble is that I accidentallybuilt it on the floor. Not that big of a deal.

You see the base level says level one. I'll just come over here and move that upto level two. And that puts it up where it belongs.So that's a really simple example of creating a roof.Another item that you see here is these curtain wall items here.Now if I move my mouse around, you see that there's a lot going on.You can see it's highlighting edges and internal components and so forth.So what I'm looking for here, if I move my mouse around.Is the dashed outer edge right there. Now if you're having trouble getting it tohighlight that dashed outer edge, you can press the Tab key.

And each time you tab, it will cycle through different options and you can seethere were several there. So there's the dashed edge, but each timeI tab you can see lots of other choices. That's called a curtain wall.Now a curtain wall is just a more complex wall that's divided into parts and pieces.It is actually a wall. So let me take you to level one floorplan. I'm going to open up level one floor planhere in the project browser, and right here in this vestibule area we have twosolid walls right here that we drew in a previous movie.I'm going to select those two using that same crossing window method that we didoutside. So, again, you click an empty space, anddrag to the left. Now, don't go too far, because you'll getthe column grid. I want to just touch those two walls,right there. Now over here, it should say walls, and inparentheses, two. And that's how you know that you've gotjust two walls selected. I'm going to click this drop down, nowcurrently it's a generic five inch wall but if you scroll down toward the bottomof the list notice that there's a curtain wall family and there's three differentkinds of curtain walls and I'm going to choose storefront.

And that is how those walls on the outside, or those curtain walls on theoutside, were created. They are just curtain walls calledstorefront. And you can draw them just like you drawany other wall. So let me show you over here, let's saythat we wanted another one of. These curtain walls embedded in this wall.Another really nice feature about the curtain wall is if you draw it right ontop of another wall it'll actually cut itself right in there like a window would.So, I'm going to click the wall command, open up the drop down.

I'll choose that same curtain wall store front.And then I'll just pick two points directly on top of this existing wall, andyou'll see it will cut right in there. Now, you may notice that it's oriented theopposite way of the one next to it, this little grip right here will take care ofthat. And all I have to do is flip it.If I go back outside to the 3D view, You can see I now have this store front rightin here. I'm going to cancel out of there.Notice this one starts a little bit off the floor.

To do that you just simply click it and right here you type in a value for theBase Offset from level and it will raise that up.So that's how those curtain wall objects were created.And there's lots of other elements in here.And you can feel free to look around and explore but let me just point out one moreto you that you might want to look at. If I go back to level one floor plan, wehave a balcony actually going up on level two.And here's a stairwell that goes up to that balcony.So Revit has stair tools right here that you can create a stair with complete withrailings. If I go up to level two floor plan,there's a floor object out here to make that balcony now the floor object here isalmost identical to the roof object that we just looked at the only difference isnone of the edges of this floor are sloped.

So that keeps the floor slab perfectly flat, where the roof that we built we madesome of those edges slope. But if I chose this edit boundary command,you'll see that its the same basic idea that we saw with the roof object.So there is a lot of other model objects, we got floors, we got roofs, we gotstairs, we got curtain walls. There's a variety of tools that we can useto begin to flush out our models and make them more complete.So I encourage you to spend a little time playing around with them and exploring inthis model. And if you want to learn more about thespecifics of any of these tools you can check out Revit Essential Training here atlynda.com

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Q: Will Revit 2014 files work in a previous version of Revit? Will the exercise files for this course work in Revit 2013?

A: Revit file formats are not backwards compatible. A new file format is introduced with each new release. Newer versions of Revit can open older version files without issue. However, files will be upgraded to the latest file format during the initial open. Once saved in the current version, there is no way to save them back to a previous version. Therefore, it is important to consider this issue carefully and discuss it with all project team members before beginning a project. For example, it is not possible for the architect to use a newer version of the software than the consulting engineers and vice-versa. All members of the team must collaborate using the same version/file format. This course was authored using Revit 2014. Therefore, its exercise files can be used with any flavor of Revit (Architecture, MEP, Structure, or LT) 2014 and later. Files cannot be opened with versions 2013 and prior.

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